This application relates to a control system for an air vehicle, and corresponding method. In particular, the control system and/or method herein is/are adapted to reduce and/or prevent acts of terrorism using air vehicles such as commercial airliners, private planes, helicopters, and/or the like.
It has been shown that commercial airliners are susceptible to use by terrorists. For instance, the acts carried out on September 11 emphasize the fact that commercial airliners in their current state can be dangerous weapons if they fall into the wrong hands.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that there exists a need for a control system and/or method that reduces the likelihood of such acts of terrorism being committed using air vehicles.
An object of this invention is to reduce the likelihood of terrorists being able to utilize air vehicles as weapons.
Another object of this invention is to provide air vehicles with a control system(s) which detects when the air vehicle is about to hit a designated structure (e.g., high-rise building, monument of national and/or local importance, government building, or the like). Upon detecting the same, the control system disengages the air vehicle from pilot control and causes it to automatically land at an appropriate airport and/or runway (e.g., the nearest available runway stored in on-board memory). In other words, if the control system detects that the air vehicle is about to hit a designated structure, it goes into a mode where the control system automatically corrects the vehicle""s course and prevents further pilot control, thereby causing the air vehicle to land at a selected airport and/or runway.
Another object of this invention is to fulfill one of more of the aforesaid objects and/or needs.
In certain example embodiments of this invention, one or more of the above-listed objects and/or needs is/are satisfied by providing a method of controlling an air vehicle, the method comprising: storing locations of respective designated structures in a memory, the designed structures including high-rise building, monuments, and/or government building; determining whether an in-flight air vehicle is on a flight path and/or potential flight path which may cause the air vehicle to hit one or more of the designated structures within a predetermined time period; when it is determined that the air vehicle is on such a flight path, automatically preventing pilot(s) from further controlling the air vehicle and causing the air vehicle to land at a selected runway and/or airport.